A group of European entrepreneurs are keen to invest in the Philippine agri sector specifically to enhance innovation and sustainable practices. This was revealed by the Department of Agriculture following discussions with the European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) representatives recently. The discussion included mutual interests in agricultural development, foreign trade and investments, economic growth and other potential areas of cooperation.

In separate statements, the EU-ABC said that “European businesses at the forefront of innovation and sustainable practices in agriculture, stand ready to share these best practices and expertise to support the continued growth and advancement of the agriculture sector in the Philippines.”

On the one hand, the ECCP opined that “The Philippines is now on the map and I think that this is a new era, a golden age for investments into the Philippines. We are very much optimistic that we will see more European companies coming here, supporting your efforts, and may be reckon trying to work with you to bring agriculture in this country to the next level.”

In return, DA Senior Undersecretary thanked the European delegation’s interest in collaborating with the Philippine government for the advancement of the latter’s agri-fishery sector. . . which will benefit not only the Philippines but also, other countries.” At the same meeting the DA raised the issue about addressing the concern in the sugar sector, including supply and high prices

MY COMMENT:

The Philippines conducting dialogues with developed countries is a move in the right direction, especially on issues that our country is wanting in expertise and experience, e.g. agriculture-fishery sector – key to unlock food security problems.
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Honesty aside, it really does not required expertise in financial management for one to earn millions of money. One has only to have guts and a thick face to embezzle huge sums from the public coffers. It however requires luck to be a child of a consenting parent who would willingly allow the grant of confidential funds out of taxpayers’ money. The asking for funds does not need to explain its use or purpose. It is all up to the asker on how to use the money in confidence and with all the confidence of a powerful spoiled brats.

Living and growing with much money that is beyond the needs of the child and beyond the means of the parent becomes a way of life in the family. The family members do not care asking where the huge money come from. All that is important is that they live lavishly as they wish and the taxpayers have no way to hold them accountable as they funds are confidential. Such setup eventually gets elevated to the national level where the child uses the same tricks that was proven effective in the past.

The lavish spending was discovered and revealed to the ever supportive gullible followers and the blind factotums running the legislative mill. It has caught attention to the public that had raised calls for transparency and accountability. The evasive brats who had employed defenders to parry all inquisitive probers had been dragged to a nook where the noose would catch the neck of the overfed chick.

A day is in the offing when the reckoning will bring the abuses that had kept the taxpayers in the stranglehold of the powerful brats. It is not far to infer that the huge funds in confidential pockets will soon pocket the culprits to damnation, hopefully in their lifetime.
While people are being taxed out of their hard-earned money, the shenanigans in power are enjoying their loot with gusto. A no nonsense probe by well-meaning progressive persons in the legislature may just be the missing link for people to feel the revolting situation. A peaceful action to call for transparency and accountability may just be the cause to halt the bragging of the spoiled bratss that are brandishing their being millionaires.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com

THAT gospel parable about a landlord who leased his vineyard to tenants (cfr. Mt 21,33-43) reminds us that we should be faithful to whatever commitments we enter into. Commitments are an expression of an undying love which can only be carried out if we have true and undying love as well, one that is the fruit of God’s grace and our all-out effort.

In other words, we can only be faithful if we are truly with God, that is, if God is the principle and goal of our commitments. Outside of that dynamic, that is, if we rely only on our own powers, we would have serious reasons to suspect that we cannot go the distance in fulfilling our commitments. Pieces of evidence of these unfortunate cases are plenty.
But how can we keep our commitments of love—of God and of everybody else—till forever? How do we keep the flame of love ever burning despite the cold and the dust that can come our way? I believe the answer is in our understanding of the very nature of the commitment of love.

For many of us, we understand the commitment of love more as a matter of feelings or of material, bodily or carnal attraction. Of course, it is true that in love, everything that we have and we are, are involved. The emotions and the passions play an important role. Except that in true love, we have to give the primary role to our spiritual faculties of the intelligence and the will, not to mention, the primary role of God’s grace.

It’s these faculties or powers that would enable us to enter into the spiritual and supernatural dimension of love. And it’s in these dimensions where we can find the true source, pattern, energy and purpose of our commitment of love, who in the end is God. It’s in these dimensions that can make our commitment persevere and constantly burning despite the ups and downs of our life, or the dizzying drama of our earthly sojourn.
The commitment of love that is a participation in the love of God can take on anything. The good things would not spoil us, making us proud, conceited, vain, complacent, etc. And the bad things would neither put us down, no, not even the scandals and betrayals of those close to us.

This true commitment of love will always stay on course, just like what couples promise on their wedding day—to love and honor each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

When young people come to me telling me that they are already dating somebody, I always give them a primer on relationships which should be anchored properly on God and the whole truth about what love, commitment and fidelity would involve. They usually have a very narrow and shallow view of these realities that they like to chase more with their emotions only.

When they are still very young, as when they are still studying, I tend to discourage them from making any serious relationship, since they are not ready for marriage and family life. I tend to advise them in a ribbing way by saying that at their age, they should make as many friends as possible so that when they are ready to marry, they can choose the best one for them.